BAIC B40 Plus vs Volkswagen T-Roc

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — compare price, performance, fuel economy or electric range, safety and the details that shape long-term ownership.

BAIC B40 Plus in South Africa

BAIC B40 Plus

Honor Edition Petrol 8-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 699,500 ex-showroom
⚡ 165 kW 🔧 380 Nm ⛽ 9.0 km/l
VS
Volkswagen T-Roc in South Africa

Volkswagen T-Roc

2.0 TSI 140kW 4Motion R-Line DSG Petrol 7-Speed DCT Current
ZAR 760,100 ex-showroom
⚡ 140 kW 🔧 320 Nm ⛽ 15.9 km/l
＋ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

BAIC B40 Plus vs Volkswagen T-Roc: the short answer

B40 Plus and T-Roc are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

T-Roc starts ZAR 50,600 cheaper B40 Plus from ZAR 699,500 · T-Roc from ZAR 648,900

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification B40 Plus T-Roc
Maximum Power B40 Plus165 kW @ 5500 rpm T-Roc140 kW
Maximum Torque B40 Plus380 Nm @ 1750-4500 rpm T-Roc320 Nm
Engine Size B40 Plus1998 cc T-Roc2000 cc
Combined Fuel Economy B40 Plus9.0 km/l T-Roc15.9 km/l
Ground Clearance B40 Plus210 mm T-Roc168 mm

Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

B40 Plus

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Stronger published practicality figures
  • Stronger published ownership cover
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Fewer listed safety features
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Practicality
Specification evidence leader

T-Roc

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower published practicality figures
  • Lower published ownership cover
Best suited to: Published Efficiency

Which One's Right for You?

B40 Plus

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published warranty or service cover

T-Roc

  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec B40 Plus T-Roc
Model Introduced Year 2021 2021
Generation Current B40 Plus Honor Edition within the locally served first B40 Plus generation, using body-on-frame construction and an electronic part-time 4WD system. Current first-generation T-Roc remains on sale while the second generation is prepared for South Africa
Facelift History The B40 Plus launched in South Africa in October 2021. The current Honor Edition debuted locally in May 2025, adding electric seat adjustment and a sunroof to the City Hunter-based specification; BAIC now presents it as the sole current B40 Plus derivative. Volkswagen has confirmed the all-new second-generation T-Roc for the second half of 2026; local derivatives and prices are still pending
Facelift Launched Since 2025 Volkswagen has confirmed the all-new second-generation T-Roc for the second half of 2026; local derivatives and prices are still pending
Facelift Version Ending Current Current
Body Style Five-door body-on-frame off-road SUV SUV
Model Year 2021 Current
Production Status active published
Segment Off-road SUV SUV
Vehicle Type SUV SUV
Color Note - White, Black, Silver, Grey, Blue, Red, Orange
Dealer Stock Note - Top grade in the South Africa lineup
Drivetrain Note - 4x4 configuration for the local line-up
Tare Mass Kg - 1400 kg
Spec B40 Plus T-Roc
Length 4630 mm 4234 mm
Width 1925 mm 1819 mm
Height 1871 mm 1573 mm
Wheelbase 2745 mm 2593 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 210 mm 168 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 190 mm -
Fuel Tank Capacity 75 l 55 l
Boot/Cargo Space 532 l 392 l
Kerb Weight 2110 kg 1400 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2535 kg 2020 kg
Payload Capacity 425 kg -
Towing Capacity 1500 kg 1200 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows -
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius Not Officially Disclosed 5.4 m
Front Headroom 1010 mm -
Rear Headroom 1000 mm -
Front Legroom 1045 mm -
Rear Legroom 900 mm -

In depth: how these cars differ

This B40 Plus and T-Roc comparison uses the exact derivatives selected above for South Africa. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: B40 Plus 71 vs T-Roc 64.

Efficiency index: B40 Plus 41 vs T-Roc 61.

Safety-equipment index: B40 Plus 57 vs T-Roc 99.

Practicality index: B40 Plus 67 vs T-Roc 58.

Ownership-cover index: B40 Plus 62 vs T-Roc 43.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.

Specification Evidence Index

A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.

Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout

T-Roc leads by 6 points

B40 Plus and T-Roc are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 67 /100
Lead 6 points
Data 89% source coverage
67
#1 Evidence leader

T-Roc

89% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 99 Check Ownership 43
Performance 64
Efficiency 61
Safety 99
Practicality 58
Ownership 43
Leads by 6 points
61
#2

B40 Plus

92% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Performance 71 Check Efficiency 41
Performance 71
Efficiency 41
Safety 57
Practicality 67
Ownership 62
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance B40 Plus +7 Efficiency T-Roc +20 Safety T-Roc +42 Practicality B40 Plus +9 Ownership B40 Plus +19

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

T-Roc

Performance 64/100
Efficiency 61/100
Safety 99/100
Practicality 58/100
Ownership 43/100

B40 Plus

Performance 71/100
Efficiency 41/100
Safety 57/100
Practicality 67/100
Ownership 62/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index Volkswagen T-Roc leads the specification evidence index with 67 pts vs 61 pts for B40 Plus

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, T-Roc leads. However, B40 Plus may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

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B40 Plus vs T-Roc questions

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the models and available derivatives in South Africa on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.